Lawmakers Want to Give Coast Guard Full Voting Rights on the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Nope, not DOT. Placed under Homeland Security when it was created. They are still providing security and boarding suspect vessels in the Gulf, in fact of the new Fast Response Cutters and a National Security cutter are on their way to the PG now. Several more FRCs will be permanently home ported in Guam, and they have an almost continuous presence in the 7th fleet. Not to mention they are THE experts in port security and counter terrorism on the high seas.

The CG has been in every war since 1790, and in fact when the Quasi-War with France broke out in 1798, the Revenue Marine which became the USCG was our only Maritime Force. They fired the first shots of the Civil War, saved Navy bacon under heavy fire in the Spanish American War, taught the Navy how to handle craft in the surf in WWII, and the USAF how to do helicopter SAR in Vietnam. They also sailed off the D-Day beaches in wooden 83' ships to provide rescue, saving over 400 on the first day alone. Oh and their cutters had the highest ASW kill percentage in the Battle for the Atlantic, not to mention the first German Ship captured in the war.

They're unique in having many missions beyond military readiness, but over the years, they have earned their place at that particular table.

DOT, not now; meaning they are not connected to DOT.
They have earned it; meaning that they have done above and beyond the norm.
I work with former Coasties that helped form my current job as a Marine Safety Inspector/Specialist.

Gotcha, the DOT threw me as the article does state Homeland security. I was in under DOT having missed Treasury by a few years. My stepson got out just before 9-11 and the transfer to DHS.